Affordable Housing
Socially Conscious Developers Build a Bastion of Affordability in Philly
Inga Saffron reports on the redevelopment of a 19th-century brick mill into workforce housing in Philadelphia's South Kensington neighborhood; a project that proves virtue need not come at the expense of profit for one Philadelphia-based developer.
Hoping to Land Public Housing in D.C.? Be Ready to Wait 39 Years
On Friday, the D.C. Housing Authority mercifully closed its insultingly long public housing waiting list. With the average rent at $1,759/month for a one-bedroom apartment, the need for affordable housing in the city is tremendous.
D.C.'s Displacement Woes Spread to the Suburbs
D.C.'s decade of prosperity and growth has been accompanied by a wave of development and displacement that is now threatening to submerge its inner-ring suburbs. Robert McCartney examines the consequences.
Trend Towards Engagement Transforms America's Public Housing
Public housing models in the U.S. are becoming more community-oriented and taking varying demographics into account during the design process. Engagement with the street, the neighborhood, and social services are creating new design typologies.
How New York's Hasidim Solved the City's Affordable Housing Problem
The certainly won't win any design awards, but new multi-family residential buildings erected by Hasidic developers in Brooklyn show that it's possible to build spacious and cheap housing in New York for families small and large.
Affordable Rental Housing Shortage Touches All
Affordable rental housing is scarce in the US, especially among low income people, finds a new report by the Bipartisan Policy Center. As "the housing demand of Baby Boomers and their children starts to converge," the problem will only get worse.
Even New York's 'Affordable' Housing is Too Expensive
A new report calls into question who's benefiting from the Bloomberg administration’s plan to build or preserve 165,000 affordable housing units in the city. Are federal guidelines to blame for 'affordable' units being too costly?
Vienna's Lessons for Building High-Quality Affordable Housing
Could Vienna's century of experience in creating housing that is both affordable and attractive offers lessons for how the U.S. can address its growing affordability crisis? In the Austrian capital, more regulation, not less, leads to cheaper rents.
Data Shows Inclusionary Housing Is...Inclusionary!
Advocates of inclusionary zoning have something to smile about. A new report from the Rand Corporation confirms that the housing produced by these zoning policies does in fact create or preserve affordable housing in areas of low poverty.
Big Winner of Tiny Apartment Competition Unveiled
Today, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the winner of a competition to build a micro-apartment pilot project in Manhattan. Consisting of 55 micro-units measuring between 250 and 375 square feet, the project will utilize modular construction.

Is Zoning to Blame for Brooklyn's Affordability Crisis?
As waves of gentrification sweep through the poor and middle class neighborhoods of New York City's outer boroughs, Stephen Smith argues that conservative, and outdated, zoning codes are to blame for the unequal balance between supply and demand.
Affordable Housing with First-Rate Design
Kaid Benfield examines a model 'pocket neighborhood' - Little Rock's Pettaway - which simultaneously improves a declining neighborhood, provides affordable infill housing and applies advanced measures for stormwater control.
A Plea to Finance the National Housing Trust Fund
"[A]ffordable housing remains one of America’s most vexing problems," states an editorial published last weekend in The Times. To help address this problem, the editors challenge the new Congress to finally finance the National Housing Trust Fund.
L.A. Mayoral Candidates Tackle City's Housing Troubles
At a forum held last week, candidates to become L.A.'s next mayor outlined their approaches to tackling the city's most daunting housing challenges - from homelessness to the need for more affordable housing.
Despite Agreement, NYC's Promises of Affordable Housing Go Unkept
After the city rezoned Williamsburg, affordable housing was supposed to be built on the grounds of a NYCHA project there. Seven years later, ground has not been broken.
Affordable Housing Got a Boost in 2012
Declining rental vacancy rates and increased interest in urban living are putting upwards pressure on housing prices throughout the country. But 2012 wasn't all bad news for attempts to retain and expand affordable housing in American cities.
Is Rent Control the Solution for Rising Unaffordability?
With rental vacancy rates declining across America, the expansion of rent control policies may seem like a logical solution for protecting vulnerable renters from fast rising prices. But Peter Tatian argues there's little evidence that it works.
Sound Solutions for Tackling the Affordable Housing Crisis
As part of a series of editorials outlining the priorities President Obama should tackle in his second term, The New York Times looks at how the federal government could help support the increasing number of American's in need of housing assistance.

World's Tallest "Lego" Tower to Rise in Brooklyn
An agreement between Forest City Ratner and NYC's labor unions has cleared the way for the construction of Atlantic Yards's next phase. The 32-story prefabricated apartment building will be the tallest of its kind in the world, reports Matt Chaban.
Can Obama Cure America's Housing Headache?
A series of seemingly intractable obstacles stand in the way of transforming the housing and mortgage markets to reduce government involvement. Peter Eavis asks if a second term president is exactly the force needed to overcome such obstacles.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service